Combined cable clamp and lightning arrester



Oct. 28! H. STATON COMBINED CABLE CLAMP AND LIGHTNING ARRESTER Filed April 10 1923 Patented Oct. 28, 1924' UNITED STATES HARRY STATON, OE BURLINGTON, IOWA.

COMBINED CABLE SLAM? AND LIGHTNING ARR-ESTER.

Application filed. April 10, 1823.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HARRY STATON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Burlington, county of Des Moines, tate of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Combined Cable Clamp and Lightning Arrester, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to'provide a new and improved combined cable clamp and lightning arrester of simple, durable and inexpensive construction.

More specifically it is the object of my invention to provide a device in the nature of a. clamp designed to rigidly secure the adjacent ends of a number of electric insulated conductors together and in conductive relation without having to strip the illsulation of said conductors.

A further object is to provide in connection with a device above described third conduct-or member, the said third member being designed to act as a lightning arrester.

A still further object is to provide in a "clamp for placing two insulated conductors in conductive relation with each other, means whereby the two conductors will be thrown out of conductive relation with each other when an excessive current has passed through the conductors.

A. further object is to provide certain improvements in that type of a clamp device designed to secure two insulated electric conductors together and having a plate provided with pins for piercing the insulation and engaging the conductors to place them in conductive relation with each other, the improvement consisting in an improved method of. mounting the plate within the clamp device.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1- is -an end elevation of my improved clamp. 1

F1gure2 1s a plan vlew of the same showing the upper clamp member removed and the manner in which the cables are mounted therein.

t en on h 11x23 of ig 2.-

Serial No, 631,111.

Figure 4 is a detail end elevation of one of the clamp members, the upper portion of one end being broken away.

Figure 5 is an elevation of one end of one of the clamp members showing a portion of the end broken away.

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of the connecting plate.

My improved clamp comprises two blocks of insulating material 10 and 11. The said blocks are preferably rectangular, the member 10 being of greater height than the member 11. The said member 10 is designed to form a base and is provided with a central opening 12. The upper face of the member 10 is provided with a rectangular annular groove 13 so that a rectangular 111g 14 is formed inside of the groove 13. The side edges 15 of the lug 14 are beveled slightly downwardly and outwardly, as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3. The two opposite outer edges of the groove 13 are beveled downwardly and outwardly, as shown in Figure 5, so that the transverse portion of the groove 13 will be wider at their bottom than their top.

The groove 13 is designed to receive a rectangular and annular connecting plate member 16 which comprises two members 17 and 18 parallel with each other and formed of a conducting material, such as copper or the like. 8

Each of the members 17 and 18 are formed with a number of upwardly projecting members 19 which have their upper ends pointed. The members 17 and 18 have their ends connected by transversely arranged members 20. The members 20 are formed of fusible material which is capable of melting at low temperatures. The said members 20 are soldered or brazed to the members 17 and 18 so that the member 16 is formed as of a single piece. Thus the members 17 and 18 are rigidly mounted relative to each other.

The connector plate is placed in the groove 13 by bending the members 17 and 18 upwardly, as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, which will cause the members 20 to be moved slightly toward each other sufficient to permit them to pass downwardly between the upper edges of the inclined faces of the groove 13, and to rest onfthe bottom of the said groove. The central portions of the members 18 and 17 are then pressed downwardly until the said members rest against the bottom of the groove, as shown in Figure 4:, permitting the outer edges of the members to rest beneath the inclined portions of the members 13 to rigidly hold the connector plate within the said groove.

The. top of the member 10 is provided with semi-cylindrical grooves 21 in a-line-- ment with the upwardly eizt'ending pins 19. The cover member 11 is also provided'with a similar set-of serial-cylindrical grooves 22 in alinement with the grooves 21. The grooves 21 and 22 are designed to receive the insulated connector members 23 and 24, the said members being placed in position as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, with the conductors first in the grooves 21. The top member 11 is then placed in position and the screw 25 extended through said top and bottom members 10 and ll'into the supporting member 26* in such a manner that the member 11 is pulled toward the member 10 and the projections 19 caused to enter the insulation and to make contact with the conductors. V V

This provides means whereby the memhere 23 and 24 will be electricallyconnected and may atfthje same time be clamped and securely held in position relative to each other to any desired si'i'p'port. 7

It is sometimes desirable to provide a lightning arrest'er, which I have done by forming a third set of semi-cylindrical grooves 26 which are designed to receive an insulated conductor 27, the insulation of which is cut away at the point 28, and Opposite a short groove 29 in the blocks 10 and 11, the said groove 29 being in communication with the end of a conductor 23. The .free

end of the conductor 27 may be grounded, and any excessive voltage ap lied to the wire 23 will cause a current to jump across the gap formed between the members 23 and 27 through thejgroove 29.

By forming the members 20 of metal fusible at low temperatures, I have provided means whereby excessive currents passing through the conductors 23 and 24: will cause the said fusible members to be burned out, thereby preventing any delicate instruments which may be connected to the conductors from being burned out. he'blocks 10 and llaie formed of tire-proof insulating material to provide means for preventing the hot fusible metalto cause any damage through By providing the connector plate in the form or a rectangular open member, I have provided means whereby the plate may be set in the rectangular groove in such a manner fliat the outer edges of the plate will en-gagethe outer edges of the rectangular may be rigidly and securely held in position against the strains placed thereon by the cables or conductors.

' Thus it will be seen that I have provided a combined cable clamp and lightning arrester of simple, durable and inexpensive construction, and which maybe easily and quickly applied to the cables, and when once applied, will firmly clamp and secure the cables in position, and one in which the device may also be used as a lightningarrester and fuse box when so desired. If it is not desired touse the device as a fuse, the connector plate may be formed of a single piece of sheet metal instead of providing the members 20 01 fusible metal.

I claim as my invention: 7

1. In a device of the class described, a base block and a cover block formed of insi'ilating material, the base block being provided with a rectangular groove having side said semi-cylindrical groove and extending to one end of theblock, the opposite end of the last said groove being closed, a third semicylindrical groove in communication with one of the end portions of said rectangular groove and parallel with the second one of said semi-cylindrical grooves, the" cover member having its lower surface pro vided with semi-cylindrical grooves to co'act with those of the said base member, a co'nnector plate designed to fit the rectangular groove of said base member and to "rest therein, said rectangular plat-e being provided with upwardly extending lugs for the purposes stated, and means for clamping the cover member to the base member.

In a device of the class described, a pair of insulating blocks comprising a base and a cover member, the base member being provided with a rectangular groove, two of the edges of-sai'd rectangular groove being provided with inclined inwardly and upwardly projecting faces, a. rectangular connector plate designed to fit the said rectangular groove, the'said connector plate having two of its side members formed par; allel and of bendable metal, the length of said connector plate being the same as the bottom of the said rectangular groove, the

saidparallel members also being provided 7 with upwardly extending projections, the bottom and cover members being provided with semi-cylindrical grooves COIDHIUIHCELQH 'ing with the said rectangular groove in such a manner as to support insulated cables in alinement with the said upwardly projecting pins, means for clampingtthe cover member to the base member and forcing the projections through the insulation, substantially as described and for the purposes stated.

3. In a device of the class described, a connector plate comprising spaced parallel and bendable sheet metal members having laterally projecting pointed members, the

ends of said parallel members being connected by members formed of fusible material so that an opening is formed in said connector plate. 

